Only five African cities feature in the top 100 rankings in regards to quality of living, according to Mercer’s 19th Quality of Living ranking… and three of those are in South Africa!

Durban, South Africa

Five Africa cities managed to remain in the top 100 rankings in regards to quality of living, with Port Louis in Mauritius topping the Africa chart at an overall 84th position.

Le Caudan Waterfront in Port Louis, Mauritius

The three South African cities which managed to remain in the top 100 rankings are:

Durban (87) ranked the highest for quality of living within South Africa

Cape Town is in 94th position

Johannesburg just made it in in 96th position.

Mercer said despite increased political and financial volatility in South Africa, its cities still fell within the top 100 of the world’s highest quality of living and remain attractive destinations for expanding business operations and sending expatriates on assignment.

“Economic instability, social unrest, and growing political upheaval all add to the complex challenge multinational companies face when analysing quality of living for their expatriate workforce,” said Ilya Bonic, senior partner and president of Mercer’s Career business.

Johannesburg, South Africa

“For multinationals and governments it is vital to have quality of living information that is accurate, detailed, and reliable. It not only enables these employers to compensate employees appropriately, but it also provides a planning benchmark and insights into the often-sensitive operational environment that surrounds their workforce.

“In uncertain times, organisations that plan to establish themselves and send staff to a new location should ensure they get a complete picture of the city, including its viability as a business location and its attractiveness to key talent.”

On the other side of the scope, Brazzaville (224) in the Republic of the Congo, N’Djamena (226) in Chad, Khartoum (227) in Sudan and Bangui (230) in the Central African Republic formed the four lowest-ranked cities for quality of living within Africa.

Cape Town, South Africa

Vienna, in Austria, ranks highest for quality of living for the 8th year in a row, and Singapore ranks first for city infrastructure.

Durban ranked 135th for infrastructure.

Mercer’s authoritative survey is one of the world’s most comprehensive and is conducted annually to enable multinational companies and other organisations to compensate employees fairly when placing them on international assignments.